Software · head to head
Cars.com vs DealerTrack
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cars.com cars.com charges shoppers nothing; it is a free listings site monetised via dealer advertising, per the 31 Dec 2020 archive capture; DealerTrack dealertrack (a Cox Automotive brand) publishes no pricing on its own coxautoinc.com/brands/dealertrack page for its DMS, F&I, CRM or registration/titling products; every product card ends in a Request a demo or Contact us link instead of a figure.
- They diverge on capability: Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, DealerTrack covers F&I management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cars.com and DealerTrack actually diverge.
| Attribute | Cars.com | DealerTrack |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $299/month | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | quote |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, App | Web, Mobile, Desktop |
| Founded | 1998 | 1990 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Cars.com
- Vehicle listing
- Marketplace access
- Lead generation
- Dealer profile
- Performance tracking
- Mobile responsive
- Photo and video gallery
- Consumer research tools
Only in DealerTrack
- F&I management
- Compliance automation
- Document templates
- Customer portal
- Lender integration
- Warranty management
- Product solutions
- Reporting & analytics
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cars.com
- Dealership Management
- Service Scheduling
- Inventory Management
- Sales Operations
- Customer Relationship
DealerTrack
- Dealership Management
- Service Scheduling
- Inventory Management
- Sales Operations
- Customer Relationship
Both are used for dealership management, service scheduling, inventory management, sales operations, customer relationship, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cars.com
- Cars.com charges shoppers nothing; it is a free listings site monetised via dealer advertising, per the 31 Dec 2020 archive capture
DealerTrack
- Dealertrack (a Cox Automotive brand) publishes no pricing on its own coxautoinc.com/brands/dealertrack page for its DMS, F&I, CRM or registration/titling products; every product card ends in a Request a demo or Contact us link instead of a figure.
Pricing, plan by plan
Cars.com
$299/month- Basic$299/month
- Vehicle listings
- Marketplace visibility
- Basic lead management
- Standard$699/month
- Everything in Basic
- Advanced lead tools
- CRM integration
- Premium$1199/month
- Everything in Standard
- Priority placement
- Marketing support
DealerTrack
On request- Standard$undefined/month
- F&I management
- Compliance tools
- Document automation
- Professional$undefined/month
- Everything in Standard
- Advanced compliance
- Custom workflows
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Everything in Professional
- Multi-location support
- API access
Which should you pick?
Choose Cars.com if
- You need vehicle listing.
- You work on Web, Mobile, App.
- You also want marketplace access.
Choose DealerTrack if
- You need f&i management.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Desktop.
- You also want compliance automation.
Questions people ask
- Is Cars.com or DealerTrack better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cars.com starts at $299/month and DealerTrack at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cars.com or DealerTrack?
- Cars.com starts at $299/month and DealerTrack at On request.
- Does Cars.com or DealerTrack run on more platforms?
- Cars.com runs on Web, Mobile, App. DealerTrack runs on Web, Mobile, Desktop.
- What is Cars.com best used for?
- Cars.com is most often used for dealership management, service scheduling, inventory management, sales operations.
- What can Cars.com do that DealerTrack cannot?
- Cars.com covers Vehicle listing, Marketplace access, Lead generation, Dealer profile. DealerTrack covers F&I management, Compliance automation, Document templates, Customer portal.
Related pages
More on DealerTrack
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